1. Field
At least one example embodiment relates to cameras for measuring a depth-image and/or methods of operating the cameras for measuring a depth-image.
2. Description of the Related Art
A depth-image with respect to an object may be measured by mainly two methods.
The first method is measuring a depth image by using patterned light and an optical trigonometry.
The second method is extracting a depth image from a time-of-flight (TOF) of infrared (IR) rays that return from an object after irradiating the object with the IR rays.
A TOF camera irradiates an object with invisible near infrared rays after modulating the invisible near infrared rays to a few tens of MHz frequency and measures a phase delay of light returning from the object by using an image sensor. The TOF camera generates a depth image by obtaining distances from the object to the camera at each pixel of the image sensor.
A depth image with respect to an object may be sensed using a stereo method. The TOF method may be favorable for relatively long distance image recognition and motion recognition. The stereo method may be favorable for relatively short distance image recognition and motion recognition.